IND vs ENG 5th Test: Can Jaiswal break Gavaskar's record of 774 in Dharmashala?

Yashasvi Jaiswal before a net session in Dharamsala yesterday

There is no doubt that the spotlight in the fifth and final Test, set to begin on Thursday, will be on Ravichandran Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow, who will be playing their 100th game in the longest format. Besides, with WTC points still at stake despite the series already been decided 3-1 in India's favour, the outcome of the match will be keenly awaited at this picturesque stadium in the shadows of snow-covered Dhauladhar hills. But India's young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, 22, will be in greater focus. He has been in tremendous form in this series and has hogged the headlines. Having taken to Test cricket like a duck to water, he has accumulated a whopping 971 runs in just eight matches. Now, another good knock could bring him more glory.

Fastest to 1,000 runs

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Jaiswal could become the fastest Indian to 1,000 Test runs. Vinod Kambli had done so in 12 Tests across just 14 innings. For Jaiswal, this will be his ninth Test, but 15th innings - one more than his fellow left-hander from Mumbai. Jaiswal also has the opportunity to become only the second Indian to breach the 700-run mark in a single Test series. The only Indian to achieve this is the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who crossed the milestone twice and both times against the West Indies (1970-71, his debut series in the Caribbean and 1978-79 in India). Jaiswal needs 120 runs in the Dharamsala Test to overtake Gavaskar's amazing 774 runs against West Indies in 1971. In that series, Gavaskar had scored 65, 67', 116, 64', 117', 124, and 220 in four Tests, and was dismissed cheaply (1) only once. The sequence of Jaiswal's scores here are impressive too: 80, 15, 209, 17, 10, 214', 73 and 37.

Jaiswal became only the fifth Indian batter to score 600 or more runs in a Test series after his 73-run knock on the second day of the fourth Test at Ranchi. He has amassed a staggering 655 runs in the ongoing series at a phenomenal average of 93.57. This also includes back-to-back double centuries (Visakhapatnam and Rajkot) - a feat only previously achieved by Kambli and Virat Kohli (twice). Jaiswal also equalled the record for most sixes in a Test innings with 12.

Fine temperament

More than records, it's the young Mumbai opener's temperament and potential that has impressed cricket followers. His captain Rohit Sharma has praised his dedication, sincerity and hard work even as he prefers not to put undue pressure on him. "I don't want to talk too much about him [Jaiswal]. He has started his career on a high. I want him to continue doing so. He looks like a good player who is here to stay," Rohit had said after a record win in Rajkot.

Some feel that too much praise and attention can harm a youngster. They cite the example of another Mumbai cricketer Kambli, who had made a similarly spectacular start to his Test career, but failed to live up to his potential.

Meanwhile, Jaiswal looked in great nick in the nets at the HPCA Stadium on Tuesday.